About

Who We Are

West Side Presbyterian Church is a welcoming church, rooted deeply in Christ, inviting all to connect, grow and serve.

Welcome to West Side Presbyterian Church!
We trust you will find in West Side a spiritual home that will enable you to grow your faith in God and a place to share your talents with others.

West Side offers a vibrant worship experience for individuals, families, youth and children. Our Sanctuary and Chapel offers opportunities to praise God, reflect and rejoice. Living and experiencing our faith through Music is an integral part of West Side’s ministry. When unable to attend worship, you can participate by Live Streaming Video and Podcasts.

Join a small group or participate in Sunday School for all ages to expand and share your faith. Participate in diverse Mission opportunities to serve others, and enjoy the company of new and old friends through these and other West Side community activities for children, youth and adults.

Please explore all that West Side has to offer by visiting and worshiping with us soon.

Ministers

The Rev. Marc A. Oehler

Pastor

Marc joined West Side’s staff as Associate Pastor for Parish Life in July, 2010, after spending 10 years as Associate Pastor of Community Life at the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township (PCCT), NJ. On Reformation Sunday, October 26, 2014, after a year long discernment process, the West Side congregation voted by overwhelming majority to call Marc as West Side’s next Pastor. On November 18th, 2014, the Palisades Presbytery voted to confirm his call.

He holds a B.A. in psychology from Lafayette College and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), with a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He received a certification in Spiritual Direction at Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development in Camp Hill, PA and is currently studying with Father Richard Rohr as a student in the first class of the Center for Action and Contemplation’s Living School.

Marc’s passion is in helping congregation’s grow deep and wide through a commitment to contemplative, missional, and communal practices. He believes God meets us where we are, but calls us out of ourselves into humble and joyful service to others. He likes to remind us that the word Christian literally means, “little Christ’s,” and believes we are called to imitate Christ and share Christ’s love with the others.

Marc is married to Nicole and they have two children, a son and a daughter.

The Rev. Penny Hogan

Associate Pastor

Penny joined the West Side staff in February 2012 as Associate Pastor for Family Life (working with youth, children and parents). She was ordained and installed at West Side on Sunday, June 3, 2012.

Penny received a Master of Divinity in 2010 from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. Before entering seminary, she served for six years in the youth, family and mission ministry at the 1,500-member La Jolla Presbyterian Church in La Jolla, California. Among her many responsibilities, she planned and co-led a youth mission trip to Kenya, co-led a multi-generational trip to Malawi, and implemented an annual youth group house building trip to Mexico for nearly 100 people.

Penny and her husband, John, are Ridgewood residents.

Deborah Holden-Holloway

Minister of Music

Before joining the staff in 1990, Deborah, or Mrs. Ho-Ho, as she is widely known, served congregations in New Jersey, Florida, and Maryland as organist/choirmaster. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education, with concentration in organ, from William Paterson University, and a masters degree in sacred music from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, with a concentration in voice.

Mrs. Ho-Ho delights in creating music for the choirs, bell choirs, and instrumental ensembles which enhance our worship, and has published a number of anthems. She also serves on the executive board of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Debbi lives with her husband and two sons, one of whom attends New Jersey Institute of Technology, in Franklin Lakes.

The Rev. Elizabeth Junod

Pastoral Associate for Family Life (part-time)

The Rev. Elizabeth Junod joined West Side in 2009 as a part-time Pastoral Associate. She was originally ordained in the United Methodist Church; she was welcomed into our Presbytery of the Palisades as a fully recognized pastor in our denomination, PC(USA). After serving for a year or so as a part-time volunteer Parish Associate, Liz rejoined the West Side staff on a part-time basis as Pastoral Associate for Family Life to assist Rev. Penny Hogan with the opportunities for families in conjunction with Foundation Worship on Sunday evenings.

Liz has a bachelors degree from Drew University, with a major in religion and minor in psychology, and received her Master of Divinity from Yale University Divinity School in May of 1989, where she was awarded the William E. Downes Prize for excellence in preaching and public speaking.

How To Join

Membership at West Side means joining a community of believers, a group of people who together are striving to serve God, love others, understand the Bible, and have a meaningful spiritual relationship with God, with one another, and with the world.

If you are interested in joining West Side, please email/speak with Rev. Marc Oehler; if you would like to sign up for the upcoming new member gatherings, please email Carol Walton.

Our new member process includes a Sunday luncheon and afternoon gathering (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), paired with a New Member Sunday breakfast 8:30 to 9:50 a.m.) The new member process, which will be both fun and meaningful, is intended to help you connect with other incoming members, personally meet the key leaders at West Side, learn about West Side and its ministries, and consider how God is calling you to become part of our ministry and mission.

Following completion of the class, and reception by the Session (West Side’s Church Council), new members are formally welcomed in worship on a Sunday convenient for the family.

Please consider joining us! To learn more about West Side and/or sign up for a New Member Class, please email Carol Walton in the church office or call her at 201-652-1966, extension 7134.

Worship at West Side

We hope that one or more of these services can inspire you on your spiritual journey.

Sunday Worship:

Chapel service with communion begins at 8:45 am. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with light, and there is a palpable energy here, sending participants out into the world with renewed faith and hope.

Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary begins at 10:00 am, where stained glass, full choir, pipe organ and a traditional Presbyterian liturgy help us connect with God and the world.

Foundation Contemporary Worship begins at 5:15pm is offered on the lower level in DePhillips Hall, for those who want an informal, family-oriented worship experience.

Contemplative Worship:

Healing and Wholeness Service – join us the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm in the Pulsifer Chapel for Contemplative Worship, as we pause at the heart of the week for the Healing and Wholeness Service, which includes a time for anointing.